Chrysanthemum plant named Cherry Conga

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Cherry Conga particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; cherry red ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 64 to 79 mm when fully opened, when grown as a single stem spray cut mum; photoperiodic flowering response of 49 to 55 days after start of short days when grown in Salinas, Calif., flowering response in Bogota, Colombia is 65 to 68 days; plant height is 71 to 94 cm when grown in Salinas with 11 to 18 long days prior to start of short days; height is 99 to 102 cm when grown in Bogota with 15 to 21 long days prior to start of short days; peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing the apical bud and without growth regulator applications is 3 to 10 cm when grown in Salinas, and 13 to 15 cm when grown in Bogota; peduncle length of the fourth lateral at flowering is 5 to 13 cm when grown in Salinas, and 15 to 18 cm when grown in Bogota; and excellent tolerance to low night temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, andreferred to by the cultivar name Cherry Conga.

Cherry Conga, identified as 3459 (87-434A-03), is a product of amutation induction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selectedby Cornelius P. VandenBerg on Oct. 25, 1990, in a controlled environmentin Salinas, Calif., as one flowering plant within a flowering blockestablished as rooted cuttings from stock plants which has been exposedas unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1750 rads in Fort Myers,Fla., on May 3, 1990.

The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivar identified as Conga,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,105, and described as spray cut mumwith flat capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; dark red-purple rayfloret color; diameter across face of capitulum of 64 to 79 mm whenfully opened; flowering response period of 49 to 53 days after start ofshort days in Salinas, Calif., and 62 to 68 days in Bogota, Colombia;plant height of 71 to 99 cm when grown in Salinas with 6 to 18 long daysprior to start of short days, and 91 to 102 cm when grown in Bogota with14 to 21 long days prior to start of short days; and excellent toleranceto low night temperatures for bud initiation and flower development. Theforegoing description of Conga had a somewhat wider range ofmeasurements than the description of Conga in the noted plant patent.This is based on continued flowering trials of Conga after preparing andfiling the patent application for Conga.

The irradiation program resulting in Cherry Conga had as its primaryobjective the expansion of ray floret color ranges of the parentcultivar Conga. The irradiation program comprised irradiating cuttingsof the parent cultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000rads. A total of 882 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiatedplants were planted on Aug. 27, 1990, Aug. 13, 1990 and Aug. 13, 1990,respectively. Of these, 9 initial selections were made, which selectionswere then revegetated and reflowered. Three consecutive floweringsresulted in discarding 7 of the original 9 selections on Jul. 26, 1991,while 2 codes were retained as PI (Possible Introduction) status. Thetwo retained codes were further tested in Salinas, Calif., and inBogota, Colombia, ultimately resulting in the decision to introduce bothof the remaining selections as Cherry Conga and Dark Red Conga. Thelatter is disclosed in a pending application.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Cherry Conga was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the original selection inDecember 1990 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., bytechnicians working under supervision of Cornelis P. VandenBerg.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successiveplantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for Cherry Conga are firmly fixed and are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Cherry Conga has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following observations, measurements and comparisions describedplants grown in Salinas, Calif., and Bogota, Colombia, under greenhouseconditions which approximate those generally used in commercialgreenhouse practice. The low night temperature tolerance was determinedin repeated flowerings in Bogota, Colombia, at temperatures as low as5°-10° C.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Cherry Conga, which, in combination,distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Daisy capitulum type.

3. Dark red ray floret color.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum of 64 to 79 mm when fully opened,when grown as a single stem spray cut mum.

5. Photoperiodic flowering response to short days when grown in Salinas,Calif., is 49 to 55 days after start of short days. Flowering responsein Bogota, Colombia is 65 to 68 days.

6. Plant height is 71 to 94 cm when grown in Salinas with 11 to 18 longdays prior to start of short days; height is 99 to 102 cm when grown inBogota with 15 to 21 long days prior to start of short days.

7. Peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing theapical bud and without growth regulator applications is 3 to 10 cm whengrown in Salinas, and 13 to 15 cm when grown in Bogota. Peduncle lengthof the fourth lateral at flowering is 5 to 13 cm when grown in Salinas,and 15 to 18 cm when grown in Bogota.

8. Excellent tolerance to low night temperatures for bud initiation andflower development.

The accompanying color photographic drawing is a front view of a singlestem cut spray mum of Cherry Conga, with the colors being as nearly trueas possible with illustrations of this type.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar incomparision to Cherry Conga is the parent cultivar Conga. All traits ofCherry Conga are similar to those of Conga, except for the ray floretcolor and the plant height. The ray floret color of Cherry Conga ischerry red, while the ray floret color of Conga is described as a darkred-purple. In most of the flowering trials in California, the plantheight of Cherry Conga has been 3 to 5 cm shorter when compared to theplant height of Conga when grown side by side, while in all theflowering trails in Bogota, Colombia, the plant height of Cherry Congahas been 8 to 10 cm taller when compared with Conga. In addition, undercertain conditions Conga has exhibited a slight brown center of thedisc. The brown center of the disc is more pronounced in Cherry Congathan in Conga.

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The actual color of the ray flowersof Cherry Conga is not precisely represented in the R.H.S. Colour Chart,and the values given are those believed to be closest to the actualcolor of Cherry Conga. The color values were determined on plantmaterial grown as a single stem spray cut mum in Salinas, Calif., onDec. 16, 1992.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv Cherry Conga.

Commercial.--Flat daisy cut spray mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Daisy.

Diameter across face.--64 to 79 mm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Cherry red.

Color (upper surface).--184D to 185D, overcast with 59B.

Color (under surface).--182C, streaked with 161C.

Shape.--Flat, straight.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--14A.

Color (immature).--14A, strongly overlaid with 144B.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; no pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

Plant

A. General appearance:

Height.--71 to 94 cm when grown in Salinas with 11 to 18 long days priorto start of short days; height is 99 to 102 cm when grown in Bogota with15 to 21 long days prior to start of short days.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named Cherry Conga,as described and illustrated.